Face Of The Day

I realized pit bulls were always portrayed in very urban, gritty photographs. The imagery associated with these dogs is often harsh, very contrasted, conveying the idea of them being tough. In my opinion, this feeds the myth that these dogs are dormant psychopaths. So I decided to take the other route and portray them like hippies, soft fairy-tale-inspired characters, feminine and dreamy. The idea of Flower Power blossomed.

I made flower headpieces and approached three rescue groups in New York City: Sean Casey Animal Rescue, Second Chance Rescue and Animal Haven. All three welcomed my project with enthusiasm. I set up a studio in both boarding facilities and photographed some of the pit bulls who were up for adoption (July and August 2014).

Two of the dogs have already been adopted. As the Dish is a proud member of Club Tripod, we’ve featured Lucy above, who is currently a sling-walking bipod while she recovers from a spinal cord injury. Head here for adoption information. Sophie will also be selling prints and calendars from the series with proceeds going to the three shelters she worked with. You can follow the project’s progress on Twitter.